New Joker Film Starring Joaquin Phoenix Has Release Date And Title

DC and Batman fans, buckle up. Because director Todd Phillips’ stand-alone Joker movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix, now has a title and a release date.

The cryptically-titled Joker (seriously, how did they ever come up with that?) is now set for release in October 2019 and will see Phoenix reprise the role more recently tackled by Jared Leto, Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson.

The news was revealed just as this year’s Comic Con got underway in San Diego, where Warner Bros. and DC will take the stage on Saturday.

This will see it joining Disney’s Jungle Cruise starring Dwayne Johnson and fellow Warner title The Goldfinch. Plus, on November 1, DC and Warner Bros. will unfurl Wonder Woman 1984, marking two months of epic releases.

However, fans of the Batman franchise shouldn’t go in expecting a typical superhero movie.

The Phoenix film will look at what it took for the Joker to become a fully-fledged criminal mastermind.

The studio describes Phillips’ stand-alone film as being an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”

The tone is described as being akin to a crime drama.

The budget for Joker is in the $55 million range, which is significantly lower than other related titles.

Production is due to start later this year and the film will be darker and more experimental in tone.

Variety first reported in February that Phoenix was in talks with the studio to play the Joker in the new film, but stressed that Leto would continue the role as the character in the Suicide Squad series.

Leto most recently played the Joker in 2016’s Suicide Squad and will be reprising his role in the sequel.

Speaking to On Demand Entertainment, Leto said of the character: “I love the Joker. He’s a great character and really fun character to play.

“But it’s a big universe and when you play the Joker, there’s no ownership there.

“You have the honour of holding the baton for a little while and then passing it off.

“There are other films that are in development and I’m excited to see what comes from them.”

In addition to Phillips’ film, Warner Bros. is also said to be working on Leto’s own standalone movie that will be separate from Joker.